New Chemo

Chris had another CT scan on Monday and we found out the results yesterday when seeing our oncologist.  The results weren't great, as the cancer has grown in or around his pancreas since the last scan 9 weeks ago.  Our doctor/nurse team said this is probably why he is having a hard time eating.  The 'good' news is that the cancer hasn't spread outside the initial areas diagnosed last fall.  He is still having back pain, which they said is due to the cancer in the lymph nodes in the stomach area, not cancer in new places as I was afraid of - the nerves in the area of his cancer refer to the middle of his back.  We are working on getting the right amount of pain medicine in him before he goes to bed so it will alleviate the pain for the entire night so he can get more sleep. 

He was sent home without chemo yesterday as the regiment has been changed.  He will now be on a hard hitting chemo cocktail used to fight pancreatic cancer - 3 different chemo drugs given in the same day.  He'll also have a pump attached to him for 48 hours after each chemo appointment, extending each chemo treatment for two days.  The new chemo schedule will normally be every other week, starting next week, though we have a few variations in the schedule coming up due to previously made plans that the doctor is okay with us keeping.  I am grateful Chris is almost done with the school year as we don't know if this new treatment will affect him differently than the one he's been on for the past seven months.  One treatment next week and then he'll get the next one just after school gets out.  He has done so well on the initial chemo therapy that we have hope he will continue to experience few of the possible side effects on the new one.  We are so grateful to God for that - must be due to all of your prayers!

He also has to go in for endoscopic surgery again as his stents have slipped out of place.  His liver function was tested yesterday and tests returned normal results and no jaundice indicators appeared.  That is one of the risk factors with biliary tract cancers that they worry about.  They are going to do the surgery next Friday to replace the stents with a new kind that won't slip as easily. 

That's most of the update for now.  I'll work on getting Chris to write more often.  As always, thank you for your positive thoughts and prayers!  We need them!

With love,
Chris and Wendy

Not a great blogger!

Hey all,

I know that it has been a long time since my last entry and I am sorry about that.  I wish I could say that it is because of my health but that would be a lie.  I am just not a good blogger.  I wish that I was more like my father-in-law Dave, he has mad blogging skills.

I can say that these past several weeks have been a roller coaster.  I was put on this new medication to help my appetite and it did everything but that.  I started to be very emotional, almost crying when talking about mundane subjects, commercials, or just random subjects.  I though I was going crazy!  On top of that I started gagging when eating.  It turned out my new medication was progesterone...I was getting women's hormones.  I was relieved because I wasn't going crazy and now I have empathy when my wife gets all emotional over a commercial or movie.   Needless to say I am off that now.

On top of that, I have been sleeping horribly the past couple of weeks.  I tell you what, not sleeping for several days really takes everything out of you.  Now they have me on better pain meds at night that will hopefully solve this problem.  I just started, and already feel better.

Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes.  I need both of them.  Through the ups and downs, I know that my friends and family are there for me.  My wife and daughter have been so awesome.  I know that I could not do this without them.

Until next time,

Cheers!